Do You Believe in Fate?

Summary: The story asks one question ... Clois on Earth 2? This is a story about redemption, so I'm going to ask my readers not to put this Clois in a mold. They are different, but fate will have it's way.

Redemption

The Fortress of Solitude:

Clark
Luthor stood in the center of the massive ice fortress with so many
questions for his father, Jor-El. He'd been coming there for weeks now,
hoping to find the answers to his life choices, why he had become
consumed with redK and how it had taken over his life.

Lionel
Luthor, his 'supposed' father was the answer. Jor-El had explained to
him that Lionel was not destined to be his parent, but it was the Kents
who should have raised him.

Clark had been stunned to hear this
bit of crucial information. He thought about how different his life
could have been, if only the Kents had found him.

And so over the
past few weeks, he found himself at the Fortress soaking up all the
history and culture of his lineage, his parents' life on Krypton,
enemies who could well still be there on Earth, and lastly Jor-El showed
him his life and all the bad things that he had done.

Jor-El also
showed him Lois Lane and her life and how she had changed from the
eager young reporter to the hard-nosed, unfeeling, self-centered person
she was today. After her husband had died, her life had shifted and not
in a good way. She was a widow because of him. Ultra-man had killed her
husband. He told himself it was to protect his identity and his power
over them, but inside he had always wanted her for himself.

After
admitting that glaring truth, he found it harder and harder not to call
her, just to see how she was doing. She would rebuff him of course,
shove green-K in the face and tell him to drop dead.

If only I could.

He
really wasn't surprised by his suicidal thoughts. They haunted him day
after day. Why did he continue to live, but it wasn't living, not at
all. He had no one to turn to, no one who understood him, and no one who
cared about him, at least not in this world.

Sighing to himself,
he left the Fortress and headed back to Metropolis, but in his flight
back to a city that despised Ultra-Man, a ray of hope flared inside his
heart, a hope that he could redeem himself not only in the eyes of the
citizens of Metropolis, but in the eyes in the one person who could save
him …

Lois Lane.

~o~o~

The Daily Planet bullpen:

"Just
get me those pictures. I don't want to hear any more excuses from you.
Why Perry keeps you around is anyone's guess. Now, move it!" Lois had
lost her patience with Jimmy. Perry kept him around as a gopher, but if
you ask her, he was a nuisance and taking up space.

"Sorry, Ms. Lane, I'll get right on it," Jimmy mumbled and scurried off like a scared rabbit.

Lois glared at his retreating back.

"Take it easy, Lois, he's doing the best he can," Perry told her after hearing their exchange.

Lois
took a deep breath and turned to face her boss. How many times have I
heard that excuse? "Look Perry, are we running a charity organization or
a newspaper? He needs to leave."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but
kept his temper in check. "I'm running this newspaper and I do the
hiring and the firing, remember that." That shut her up but then he felt
contrite. "Look, maybe it was too soon for you to come back to work.
It's only been a few weeks."

Not that again, she thought. "I need to keep busy, Perry."

"I
have no problem with you keeping busy, Lois, but snapping at the staff
for no good reason and acting like a spoiled brat, well, that's not
you."

Lois took a deep breath, wiped her tired eyes and thought
about his words. She was acting out of character. She loved her job and
she couldn't lose it. It was all she had after all. "I'm sorry, Perry.
Maybe it was too soon."

He touched her shoulder. "Take the
afternoon off, better yet, take the week off. I have your latest story
about Ultra-Man disappearing, but you need to take some time off to take
care for yourself."

Lois knew he was right. "Alright, I'll be back in a week." She paused and looked him in the eye. " Thanks, Chief."

'No problem," he told her, then went back into his office.

Sighing,
Lois gathered her things, but when she looked up, Jimmy was at her desk
with the photos she had asked him for. "Ms. Lane, I hope these are
satisfactory," he told her stiffly.

She took the photos from him.
He turned to leave, but she stopped him. "Jimmy wait, I … I'm sorry I
snapped at you. It's been hard these past few weeks. I'm leaving now for
a bit of time off for myself." She waited for him to face her.

"It's ok, apology accepted," Jimmy said and smiled.

Relieved, she smiled back. "Thanks, Jimmy."

~o~o~

Once
Lois was out on the street, she looked up at the sky, but she didn't
know why she did it. Ultra-man was gone and so was Clark Kent.

She
shook her head, but thoughts of both of them refused to leave her mind.
The last time she had seen Kent he had told her that he couldn't be in a
world where she didn't love him. Apparently, his Lois Lane adored him.
She shook her head at her wayward and ridiculous thoughts.

Clark decided to use his lower register voice. "I have a story for you Ms. Lane."

She
perked up at that. She needed something to write about considering
crime was not as bad as it used to be. A new vigilante was in town, a
good one it appeared, even though she hadn't seen him in action. "A
story you say? What kind of a story?"

"A story your readers won't be able to forget."

Now she was very curious. "Tell me more."

A brief moment of silence then, "We should meet privately."

Lois frowned. "Well, I'm not sure. Tell me your name."

"Well, not quite yet, but in due time."

Lois frowned again then considered it, but her curiosity and need for a good story far outweighed her common sense. "Ok, where?"

~o~o~

Clark
Luthor waited patiently for Lois to arrive. Here, in Shuster's field
was where everything had gone wrong in his life. Here, he could explain
to Lois why everything had turned upside down for him.

He knew now
that they should have met years ago, before he had changed, before she
had married Oliver Queen. All of it should not have happened.

He
heard and watched her car arrive. She stood by the fence that needed
repair and looked around the old farm and wondered why he wanted to meet
her there. No one lived there anymore.

Clark could see her in the
distance, and even from this far away he could see how lovely she was.
Her dark hair was pulled to one side behind her ear. She was dressed in a
dark blue suit with a low-cut silk blouse, high heels and a pencil
skirt. His heart quickened despite his best efforts not to react to
seeing her again.

Clark was dressed all in black with a silver 'S'
on his chest. His heritage was all he had now. He was nervous and
worried how she would react to this new Clark Luthor. She shaded her
eyes and then she saw him.

Lois could see someone in the distance.
It must be him. They slowly walked toward each other, each wondering
what to expect. They met half-way, but then she could see his face and
her heart turned to ice. How dare he lure me here? She backed up a step.
"What do you want?"

"Just to talk, that's all, I promise," Clark told her in a different voice, one more likely to calm someone than to scare them.

Lois
tried not to react to the timbre of his voice, but she couldn't help
it. Her breathing increased despite her loathing of the man. Then she
crossed her arms on the defensive. "You have two minutes, and then I'm
leaving."

"Lois …?" He began but she stopped him right there.

"That's 'Ms. Lane,' to you."

"I
see, not … 'Mrs. Queen'?" Clark shouldn't have asked that. That was his
jealousy talking, but it brought back painful memories for her.

"How
dare you mention him to me? I'm leaving," she turned to leave but he
was right there in her face, then she backed up again. "Stay away from
me."

He held up his arms in apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
scare you, but I wanted you to write my story … no one else. Please
don't leave."

She narrowed her eyes at him. That voice again. He
sounded meek to her ears, like no one else, but the more she thought
about it, the more she realized that he sounded exactly like the other
one ... Clark Kent. She stared at him closely. "Who are you really?"

He
told her the truth. "My name is Kal-El and I'm just someone who wants
to change his life, to make things right, and to start my life over." He
looked into her eyes then. "I know you hate me."

Lois didn't hate
anyone, but he did come close. Tears sprang into her eyes, shocking
her, and then she turned from him to hide her face. Hate was a strong
word. It was true ... she had hated her marriage, hated her life. She
had been trapped in a loveless marriage. It didn't take long for her to
realize she had made a terrible mistake. I do hate him, don't I? He had
finally released her from a marriage that had changed her into someone
she didn't even know.

She was so quiet but Clark wanted to know what she was thinking. He dared to touch her shoulder. "Lois …?"

Lois
shivered at his touch then she closed her eyes at her name spoken so
softly sent her to a place she had no business going. Tears flowed down
her cheeks. She tried to dash them away. "I'm alright."

"No you're not," he said and handed her his handkerchief. "Here, blow your nose."

She
did as he said then turned back to face him. Her eyes roamed all over
his face trying to see the truth then she shocked herself again by
saying, "I believe you."

Clark smiled at her and Lois' heart
literally skipped a beat, shocking her even more. "So, you'll help me?
You'll write my story?"

"Thank
you ... Lois." And then right there in Shuster's field, Clark told her
his story, all of it. After he stopped speaking, Lois turned off her
recorder and stared at him.

"It's all true, isn't it?" She asked him, still unbelieving but in her heart, she knew it was all true.

"Yes, Lois, all of it is true."

She
shook her head. "Well, I have some time off and … umm … we could meet
again in a few days, and we …" She hesitated, unable to think clearly,
her heart pounded as she stared at him.

Smiling, he put her out of her misery. "Meet me here in a few days and we can talk about the story. How's that?"

"Perfect,"
she replied. She walked past him and headed for her car but felt
compelled to turn back and look at him. "Saturday, at Noon?"

"Perfect," he replied. They both smiled.

~o~o~

After
meeting several times at discreet locations, their last meeting before
the article would be published would be at her new apartment.

Lois
was now well off financially. She didn't have to work if she didn't
want to, but that was not her, and besides she didn't want Oliver's
money. It was ill-gotten and she didn't want it. She loved reporting and
she would not give that up. Most of the money had been given to
charity.

Staring at herself in the mirror, she glanced at her
watch. He should be here at any moment. Lois didn't wonder why her heart
was throbbing; it did that every time they saw each other, and she
couldn't seem to stop thinking about him.

The article was now
complete and then they probably wouldn't see each other again. She
actually felt sad about that. Then the doorbell rang, startling her out
of her thoughts.

"Coming!" She yelled. Glancing at herself in the
mirror one last time, she went to the door, then opened it. He stood
there in a suit and a tie, wearing glasses, and a hesitant smile. She
was taken aback. He looked … adorable for lack of a better word. Shaking
her head, she regained her wits. "Come in, come in," she greeted him
smiling.

He smiled at her, and Lois was beginning to think she
could become accustomed to that smile. He had his hands behind his back
then he turned to her. "I have something for you."

Lois was shocked again. "You brought me a present?"

He shrugged. "It's just to thank you for believing in me and for writing my story. Anyway, I hope you like it."

"I'm
sure I will," she said opened the small box. It was wrapped in lovely
red paper with gold ribbon. She wondered what he could be giving her,
then surprise and delight lit up her face. It was a journal, a writing
journal. "Kal-El, why …?"

"Well, you mentioned the other day about wanting to write a novel, so I thought I'd get you started."

"That's very sweet, thank you." They smiled at each other and then their smiles vanished in an instant.

Lois
cleared her throat and pulled her eyes away from his face. Then she
tried to walk past him to the kitchen, but this time he stopped her. He
touched her arm.

"Lois, I … I can't stop thinking about you."

"Oh?" She asked, dazed by his declaration as she stared at him.

"Is it the same for you?" He hopefully asked.

"Well, I …" she replied, still dazed.

He
smiled at her then, and Lois's heart melted into a puddle in her chest.
He pulled her to him. "You'll have to come up with more words than that
if you want to write a novel," he teased.

"Ummm," she mumbled staring at his lips.

Clark couldn't take it anymore and then he kissed her hard, maybe a bit too hard.

She pushed him away a little. "Whoa, there… that was a bit rough don't you think?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized then he backed up. "I … I should leave."

She grabbed his arm. "Now hold on a minute, come back here. Let's just try it a bit slower and not as rough this time. Alright?"

"Are you sure, I mean …?" He didn't want to hurt her.

Instead
of answering him, she grabbed his tie and pulled him towards her. He
kissed her tentatively at first then with more passion as he slanted his
mouth across hers. His kisses were driving her mad. His tongue slid
across her lips hoping to gain entrance.

Her mouth opened
thrilling him and spurring him on. His kisses were everywhere, on her
lips, on her neck. Lois was gasping for breath.

Clark wanted and
needed her desperately, and apparently she felt the same way. Lois
moaned loudly then as her thoughts were running wild imagining what he
would do next. "Oh, Kal-El," she managed to say between kisses. She
wanted to feel his hands on her body, she admitted it to herself,
shocking her yet again.

He spoke his thoughts as kisses rained
down her throat, then, "Lois, I want you." He pressed his hips against
hers and she felt his blatant desire for her.

All she could think to say was, "Oh, yes, I want you too."

Smiling,
he took her hand and headed to her bedroom. Her fogged brain realized
he knew exactly which way to go. "Hey, how did you know where my bedroom
was?"

"Well, I umm, I watch out for you from time to time," he sheepishly admitted.

She
didn't know whether to be thrilled, pissed off or excited. All three
emotions were clamoring for her attention, but finally, she settled on
two out of three. "Damn, that's hot!"

He smiled and pulled into
her bedroom. They fell onto the bed, laughing and giggling as clothes
were removed quickly. She sat up then and climbed on top of him. She
pulled off his glasses and stared at them for a moment. "Do you really
need these?"

"No, not really, but I needed a disguise."

"Humm,"
she mumbled and thought about it. "Not a bad idea." She put the glasses
on the nightstand, but when she leaned over him, her breasts were in
his face and it was far too much of a temptation, so he leaned up and
took a perk nipple into his mouth.

Lois closed her eyes and stayed
in that position for a minute or two as he licked and suckled to his
heart's content. His lips and tongue were working their magic on both
breasts and his moans of pleasure, suckling and licking noises were
driving her mad with wanting him. Warm, moist heat flooded her inner
walls. She wondered if she could come just from his kisses. That's never
happened before, she thought.

Suddenly, he flipped her over onto
her back but his lips were still on her breast. "Oh, my, that feels so
good," she whispered, but she ached and burned for more, so much more.

As
if he had read her thoughts, he moved back up and captured her mouth
again. He lifted her leg so she could feel him, then he rubbed the head
of his erection against her moist curls, and they both moaned loudly
needing this more than they ever had before.

His hand moved to the
juncture of her thighs and she was slick and warm with desire. He
kissed her sweet mouth again and again and then he pulled her beneath
him. He pressed gently against her opening, easing his way inside her.
Lois lifted her arms and legs to pull him close eager for him to move.

He
quickly found the pace that had her climbing toward a climax and she
clung to his shoulders. He held her tightly to him as his arms slipped
beneath her body to pull her closer. Lois's breathing increased when
Kal-El thrust more rapidly against her and then it happened. She felt
her body convulse sharply as she climaxed. He was right behind her as
his body jerked and he cried out his pleasure against her neck as he
joined her in completion.

Kal-El continued to kiss her and hold
her tight. He withdrew carefully and settled back into her arms as they
clung to each other and their heartbeats slowed. He smiled against her
temple and stroked her hair.

Lois snuggled into his arms and
wondered again at her trust and quick acceptance of this man. She knew
everything she needed to know on the surface, but he was basically a
stranger to her. Her feelings were confusing, but it was clear that they
had connected on a much deeper level, one that she had never in her
life felt before.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" Kal-El was worried about her.

"No, I'm fine," she replied, wonderful actually, she thought.

"I'm glad. You know, Lois, I was wondering …" Kal-El began.

"What, what were you wondering?"

"I could really use your help."

Frowning, she leaned up on her elbow to look at him. "And how in the world could I help you?"

"Well,
with your keen sense of justice and right and wrong, you could be my
moral compass, Lois. I mean, the world needs you, and I … I need you."

Lois understood what he was asking, but the way she saw it, they needed each other.

"You can call me anytime."

Content,
he pulled her back into his arms, holding her close. He closed his eyes
and thought about his life up until this moment. He hadn't really lived
until he had found her. He knew that now. "Lois?"

"Uh, huh?" She was almost asleep.

"Do you believe in fate?"

She'd
thought about that question before, but the one thing she knew for sure
was, "No, I don't believe in fate. You make your own decisions, your
own choices."

"I agree, and my choice at the moment is to love you now, and for as long you'll have me."

Jordan Young:
*ALERT FOR POSSIBLE SPOILERS* Where to start? I don't know how to sum up this review, this story was absolutely sensational. Brilliant. Flawless. I loved every single bit of this story, it is truly amazing. I read this story in fifteen hours, it is magnificent. I loved everything about it, the p...

Jenn Deering:
This is a go-to story for when you're needing a little happiness in your life. It's well-crafted, and characters are true to their show-selves. The pace is right, there are minimal grammatical errors, and the plot is fresh.

Chris Rolfe:
BOY!!! I sure love what Aer-Ki Jyr did with this series. IMHO he captured the essence of what stargate is all about. Thru out the Stargate stories Aer-Ki wrote Stevens and John Shepard some of the main characters in his stories are pursued by a corrupt I.O.A.. All the while Stevens is changing in...

Alex Rushmer:
This was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it a lot Malfoy was always one of the characters that I liked a lot, so I like that a lot of this happens between him and Colette. I read the first couple chapters, and I enjoyed your writing style and am excited to see where you take this story. My com...

MavisMcQueen:
"To Live Again" is a well crafted, highly engaging, heart vibrating tale surrounding our favorite Elven King. The author will keep you engrossed until the very end and by that time you will feel so strongly for Clara and the other characters that you will never want it to end...like ever. Thrandu...

Sandra Estrada:
I loved every minute of it and I thank my lucky stars that brought me to the story, it's been a whirlwind of emotions, plot twist after plot twist but I never got tired of them. Abby and Kade's story is a hard one to understand but once you're submerged in their story and love, you can't help but...

Prasino45:
Hi! I happen to see your updated chapter on FF.NET!It happened to be about you coming onto Inkitt with this story! I've been a fan for a while! I'm a scqualphie writer myself. I ship them HARD! Love this story! I'm gonna do a reread as you said you changed some things! Glad we both made the switc...

_JosephJacobson_:
I don't understand why this has such low ratings. I really enjoyed it!I think that the whole idea behind the plot had something very special and that was something that I really enjoyed. It was new, unique. I think that some of the writing was a little strange in places but overall it made sense ...

dd1226:
I love reading about other countries and I think this story about Cambodia after Polpot creates awareness of the tragedy that happened there and the actions of the U.N. to hold elections. The heroine of the story is easy to relate to, a modern, middleaged woman looking for an adventure, wanting t...

Flik:
Hi! ^.^ huge fan of yours on ff.net! When I saw the note about this contest on The Way We Smile, I couldn't help but rush over here, create an account, and vote! XD Seriously love this story and would recommend it to anyone! :D best FT fanfiction out there. Amazing story, amazing concept that wa...